


Haunted

by somebodytoldme



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: But I'm indecisive, Completely inaccurate I don't care, Don't read late at night, F/M, Finn is just trying to do his job, Ghost Hunting AU, Hux hates everyone and everything, Hux the sassy reporter, Kylo is a dramatic bunny of darkness, M/M, Other relationships are likely, Phasma is perfect, Poe is having an existential crisis, Rey is not impressed, TOO SPOOKY, the au nobody asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2018-07-18 13:28:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7317082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somebodytoldme/pseuds/somebodytoldme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kylo Ren is a very sensitive medium, who has a clouded past, but uses his gift to help others who are dealing with the paranormal. Finn is a paranormal investigator that uses science and research to justify the existence of the supernatural. By fate, he comes across a college student named Rey who needs a job. Poe Dameron is almost a priest, who specializes in the unusual or unnatural. And Hux is a grouchy reporter who works for US Weekly. This team of misfits are brought together to solve a mysterious haunting at an old school, which quickly becomes much more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: Now beta'ed by the lovely NarutomyBLEACH. Thank you for all the hard work, you're the MVP. <3  
> Also, this will now, officially be continued!

“Today we have a very special guest, a man shrouded with much controversy, and a dark mystique—Mr. Kylo Ren!” Announces a very excited Richard O’Neil, a famous reporter who now hosted his own talk show. He was just passing middle-age with graying hair and a dignified demeanor. He smiles kindly at the camera, before turning his attention to his guest.

The screen flickers from O’Neil to a dark figure in the chair opposite. The lighting is dimmed to candlelight, as if to set the mood into something more mysterious and dark as suggested. Kylo Ren’s black hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and is wore round-framed glasses that looked particularly awkward on his face. His clothes were, of course, black, although he did wear a polished looking suit. His expression was positively uninterested, and an awkward silence filled the room, until he seemed to realize, much to his anguish, that it was his turn to speak. 

“Thanks, Richard,” he says in a deep, monotone voice. 

To which, Richard shifts in his chair, he had a history of dealing with the less approachable characters, so this was no different. “We’re so glad you took the time to come and speak with us today, Kylo, as it is indeed a rare opportunity. Shall we waste no time in getting into the details?”

Ren inclines his head in agreement, but says no more.

“Excellent, then could describe to our viewers who may not know who you are, what it is you do?”

“I have the ability to receive, and interpret messages from different energies or entities. I use this knowledge to aid those who might be dealing with particularly strong, or negative energies.”

“You communicate with the dead?”

Something flashes across Ren’s impassive face, and his jaw clenches as he responds dryly, “I don’t  _ see _ dead people.” He seems to settle back again to boredom, “communication implies far too much. There is no conversation, there is only suggestions.”

“Suggestions?”

“It is like a faulty radio. Only bits and pieces get through. From that I have to interpret what it means.”

“Interesting… Then how can you identify a person’s deceased loved one?”

“To be frank? I cannot.” Ren adjusts the glasses as they slide down his prominent nose, “Not for certain. Speaking to your dead family is not what I advertise. It is not like a movie, where the projected outline of a person appears before your eyes… However, I do get visions and emotions from the entity. That can lead me to the assumption, that this is indeed that person.”

“What do the dead look like, then?”

Ren cocks his head to the side, seemingly undecided between amusement and irritation, “Nothing. Like I said, I can’t  _ see _ them.”

“So, do you sense any entities in the studio, at this moment?”

“No.”

Richard O’Neil chuckles lightly, “How disappointing. What would you suggest, to those who aren’t as sensitive to the spirits as you, whether or not they have a real problem on their hands?”

“Your pets.”

“Pardon?”

“Animals are particularly sensitive to these energies, and if they sense something that they feel is a danger—they will react first. If your pet starts acting more restless, or even frightened, then you have a problem.”

“And if someone doesn’t have pets?”

“People are animals too… Trust your instincts—”

Rey mutes the television, slamming the magazine down on the counter, “What a load of horseshit.” She really couldn’t understand  _ who _ believed this shit. It was all a hoax to get more money from those too naïve to know otherwise, or too desperate for any kind of answer.

_ A young girl stands in a dark hall way, watching the door creak open, the light is blinding. The man’s figure disappears into it, and she screams after him… “Don’t leave me all alone!” The figure pauses, and he says something… “I’ll be back, wait for me.” _

“Rey,  _ Rey,” _ she is snapped back from her daydream by her very fussy, very short boss. 

Rey was twenty years old, in college, but currently off for the summer working her part-time job at the local trinket shop. She had long brown hair that she kept tied back in a ponytail, and freckles that had gotten significantly worse with the warming weather. “Ah, sorry Maz,” she mutters apologetically. 

The short woman frowns, but it isn’t an angry one so much as concerned. “Rey, I hate to tell you this, but I’m shutting down the shop early this season.”

Rey shoots up, off her stool, “ _ What? _ Why?!”

Maz smiles almost dreamily, “The husband surprised me with a cruise.”

Rey tries to hide her desperation; she  _ really _ was counting on this job to get her through the summer. And she didn’t have a backup plan. “Ah, that sounds nice.”

Maz nods, and looks at her kindly, “I will pay you for the weekend too, as you have paid vacation.”

She’s pretty sure that she hasn’t been working long enough to get a paid vacation, but she doesn’t complain. Maz was always good to her. “Thank you, Maz.”

The woman gives her a grin, and pats her on the shoulder, “Don’t forget to lock up before you go.”

She nods, and watches Maz leave for the night before continuing with her closing duties. On her way out, she snags a newspaper from the rack, figuring it was time to start perusing the Help Wanted ads. 

She walks the quarter of a mile back towards her house. She lived in a small suburban town where nothing ever happened and everyone knew each other. Maz, she had not known long, but knew well.  Street lights that were years old, that glowed a soft yellow guided her route home. Shedding little tear drops of light that she stepped into. 

Within passing the park, Rey hears a soft whimper. She spots a dog whose collar appears to be snagged on a bush. It was thrashing and tugging, but when it pulled too have Rey heard the dog wheeze. She knew the dog: it lived in a house not far from here, and was notorious for running away. She shook her head and approached. It whimpered again, as she reached him, but she ignores it as she pulls the collar free from the bush. Once it was free the dog tears away from her, racing back to wherever it came from. She scoffs at the typicality; Rey never was good with dogs or cats. They seemed to avoid her.

\----

“Thank you for the insight,” O’Neil says in what you don’t need to be a medium to sense is a condescending tone. 

Kylo bites the inside of his cheek and nods, not trusting himself to speak at present. It would likely have been rude. Which prompts O’Neil to fire his next question.

“Now, are you the only one in your family that possesses these particular talents?”

His hands grip the leather chair’s arms dangerously tight. This was not a topic brought up in the dress rehearsal. It was not what he came here to discuss. Nonetheless, he gives a short answer, hoping to move on quickly, “No, my mother did as well.”

“And your father?”

He can taste blood in his mouth, “ _ No _ .”

“You were present at the murder of your father, did you sense some spirit entanglements with the case?”

Ren stands and rips off the mic. He throws it to the floor as he storms out of the interview. All he can see is red, and all he can taste is the salty, iron blood in his mouth. But he can’t  _ feel _ anything. So, he stops in the hall and punches the wall. The drywall cracks under his fist, and his hand goes through with a satisfying crunch. He hears startled gasps behind him, and turns to see two middle aged women looking scandalized by his behavior. So, he breathes… And slowly pulls his fist from the hole. As he straightens up he gives the women a brief nod before continuing on his way out. 

He calls his agent in the parking lot, “I  _ specifically _ said no questions relating to  _ that _ .” Each word is enunciated carefully in fury.

Snoke on the other line sounds bored, “Can you blame them? It was all over the news… It’s probably the only reason you got this interview to begin with.”

“It’s  _ not _ what I came to talk about.”

“Did they talk about your stuff?”

Ren scoffs, “Hardly. They treated me like I was a  _ joke _ .”

“Better than a monster.”

Ren breathes in deeply, remembering the headlines that followed him around for a year and a half now.  _ Monster _ ,  _ kills his own father… Will they plead insanity?  _ “That’s not the point. I’m not going back in.”

“If that is what you deem best.” Snoke had a way of making Kylo feel  _ small _ or inadequate. “I got a case for you.”

Kylo pinches the bridge of his nose, remembering the last few cases he had received as anything less than satisfactory. Two faked possessions, and one paranoid old man. “It better be good.”

Snoke lets out a chuckle, which is sinister enough to give Kylo goosebumps through the receiver. “ _ Oh,”  _ he said, “it’s a  _ good one.” _

\----

Rey spent the majority of her night re-watching  _ Scrubs _ and eating chocolate as she flipped through the Wanted ads in the newspaper. She doesn’t find anything of interest, until she come across a curious personal ad.  _ Brave soul needed, must be tech savvy and able-bodied. Respond at 555-4790.  _ Which, unable to contain her excitement, Rey calls at some time passing midnight. Surprisingly, a voice answers that sounds equally as awake. “Hello, this is Finn from DPI speaking, how can I be of service?”

Rey shifts, “Hello! Um, hi, this is Rey, calling, I saw your ad in the paper…”

“Oh! Hello, Rey! Yes, I need someone to help set up my tech to conduct research.”

“I know my way around computers, and I’m sure I could adjust to your needs.”

“Perfect!” Finn chuckles on the other line, “Say, why don’t we met up tomorrow, you know, at a normal hour?”

Rey blushes, and looks up at the clock that reads much embarrassingly late. “Yeah, sounds good. Where do you want to meet?”

Rey goes to sleep content. And in the morning she heads to the local library with a spring in her step. She waits at the entrance, until she sees a bright, handsome man approach. He is wearing just a regular pair of jeans, and a Ghostbusters tee shirt with a brown leather jacket thrown over it. There was a patch of red at one shoulder. Instantly, she knows that is Finn from the ad, so she waves him down.

“Hey,” he greets with a mile-wide smile of beautiful pearly whites. 

She likes him already, she decides. “Hey, it’s Rey,” she offers her hand.

He shakes it, “Finn,” and then gestures for her to follow him. He leads her over to a recluse table, tucked behind a few bookcases that will give them some privacy. It feels very spy movie-esque, which amuses her greatly. Finn begins. “My research is a bit of a sensitive topic, so don’t laugh when I tell you.”

Rey wants to laugh, just at that statement, trying to imagine what ridiculous thing Finn could be researching. However, his expression is so serious that she cannot fault him for it. Instead, she nods, “Ok, I’ll keep an open mind.”

Finn nods, “that’s all I ask… So, the business is called Discrete Paranormal Investigation.” He pauses, as if to wait and see if Rey has gone off screaming yet. She hasn’t. “I’m trying to use technology to explain… Well, the unexplainable. To get some answers. I know it sounds crazy, I really do… But your job isn’t necessarily to believe. It is to help set up the equipment and make sure it is accurately recording.”

Rey can’t honestly say she is interested in such research… But she really doesn’t have the opportunity to be picky. “Alright, I’m game.”

Finn looks, astonished, like he can’t believe she has just agreed. “That’s… Great! Look, there are, of course, safety measures that we will have to go over. But I’m so glad to have you on board!”

\----

Hux didn’t understand how  _ he _ always got dealt the shortest straw. The game was clearly rigged… First it was the poaching of seals in Alaska, then it was the economic impacts of wastes sites. And now, it was to follow around some  _ nutcase _ as he supposedly solved a supernatural haunting. So, it had gone from freezing his ass off, to a landfill of smelly trash, to a  _ ghost _ story. As it was likely full of shit, he’d like to go back to the landfill of trash. At least the landfill was honest.

Nonetheless, it was a job, as a sultry reporter, to go to anything that his boss assigned him. And as he boarded the plane, to go to a small town in Connecticut, he seriously contemplated quitting. However, the flight itself wasn’t bad, and the hotel accommodations was definitely better than the previous jobs. He counts it as a victory, as he scopes out the neighborhood, which is also surprisingly pleasant. Around noon, the next day, he gets a call from his boss telling him the address of said haunted site.

When he pulls up the site, after following a long, winding dirt path he can’t contain the shiver that crawls up his spine. Although skeptical, he cannot deny that it is a fitting place for a haunting. The building is a quaint, and wooden with paint peeling from abandonment. The lawn was overgrown, and somewhere in the weeds a sign that said  _ St. Claire’s Primary School _ on it. 

There were already two vehicles scattered on the lawn, so Hux pulls his little rental up to the side. He gets out and immediately lights up a cigarette, the nicotine soothing and reassuring. He glances over at the big, black van, and sees a young girl with brown hair and freckles appear from behind it, lugging a huge box in her arms. “Who are you?” he drawls, not offering to help as finishing this cigarette is much more important at the moment.

She doesn’t seem to mind, just shots him a small smile as she adjusts the box in her grip, “Rey, I’m Finn’s assistant.”

“Finn?” he asks.

Only they’re interrupted by a man who comes charging out of the building, “wooah Rey, that’s the heaviest box.” The man, Finn, Hux assumes tries to take the box from her hands.

She refuses, “This is my  _ job _ . Forget it. You can untangle all the wires in the back.” With that she disappears into the building. 

Finn smiles after her, and then turns his attention back towards Hux. “Finn of DPI, at your service.”

“Hux, with the US Weekly,” Hux says automatically, before posing a question, “DPI?”

“Stands for Discrete Paranormal Investigation, which is what we are.”

Hux can feel a headache coming on, filled with the distinct fear of not finding  _ one _ normal person here. “Nice. Who else is here?” he gestures toward the other car.

“Finn! I could really use those wires now!” calls Rey from inside.

“Working on it!” he shouts back before nodding at Hux, “sometimes I think I work for  _ her. _ The owner of the place is inside, along with a priest.”

Hux nods as Finn runs back to the van to untangle said wires. He drops the cigarette, and stubs it out with his boot. It looks like the subject to his story has not yet made an appearance, so he decides to head inside. 

Inside, he spots Rey unpacking in one room what looks like a series of cameras and monitors. He doesn’t waste his time on it, and instead moves further down the hallway. It looked like a two story building, with maybe six classrooms downstairs, a main lobby, and a staircase at the end of the hall. Everything was made of wood, which made him question the age of the it, all questions for the owner when he met them. He carried on upstairs, and followed the voices into the first room on the left.

“This was where the first sounds were made,” says an older woman to a young man. 

The young man has dark, curly hair and a knowing smile. He wore a green tee shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. The priest, Hux assumes is the first to notice his entrance. “Hello?”

Hux nods, “I’m Hux, with US Weekly.” He turns to the older woman, “You’re the owner, I assume?”

She nods, “yes, I am Shelly Williams, I’ve owned the property for many years. It was passed down to me.” She gestures towards the young man, “this is Poe Dameron, he is a dear friend and a priest.”

Dameron gives him a nervous smile, “I’m not a priest yet, but I am skilled in such matters as this.”

Hux raises an eyebrow, “And what is  _ this _ , exactly?”

Dameron looks ready to respond, but the old lady does before he can, “A haunting.”

\----

Kylo arrives late to the location, but already feels unsettled the moment they pull up. His assistant, Phasma gets out of the car first, and opens the door for him. He is already pulling on his gloves, before he steps out, not willing to have an unwanted transmission while he toured the place. His senses were already heightened enough. “It certainly looks the part,” Phasma says as they approach.

Ren doesn’t comment. He begins to walk the perimeter of the building, from the outside, as he often did. When he hears chatter from inside the building. Then a pause. “Kylo Ren!”

“Mr. Ren!” another voice calls, and he is forced to stop and turn around. An old woman comes bustling out the building towards him. She grabs his hand, and he thanks himself for his precaution in the car, “I’m so thankful that you’ve come… I fear that I will pass soon, and I had no idea what to do with the place.”

He gives her a sharp nod, “of course, Mrs. Williams.” 

Phasma jumps in to save him, “we are just checking the perimeter, and then we’d like to ask you to give us a tour of your lovely school.”

“Of course, of course,” the woman nods, “first, I’d like to introduce you to the rest of the team.”

Kylo tries his best not to groan. The more people, the worse it was to get a clear picture. Their energies would knock his senses off balance. And they were messy and loud. He glanced over at the crowd standing in the entranceway. 

“That strapping young man, is Poe Dameron a priest— “

“Almost one,” he interjects. 

“The grumpy looking one,” Mrs. Williams continues.

“I resent that—!”

“---Is a reporter for US Weekly. And the other two are Finn from DPI and his assistant, Rey.”

He nods politely to them, and then turns his attention back to the task at hand. Luckily, Phasma is able to steer the woman’s attention away from him with conversation. Which is what he paid her for, truthfully. He continues to walk the perimeter alone, trying his best to ignore the mix of conversations. 

“How long did you say you’ve owned this building for?” Phasma and Williams continue to chat about the school itself. Some information relevant enough for him to listen every so often.

“—do you think he knows what color is?” the girl says sarcastically to the other two.

The reporter chuckles, “just as long as he doesn’t go around saying, _ I wear black because it matches my soul,  _ I’ll ignore it at present.”

He returns back after a cycle, and stops before the owner. “I’m ready to see the inside.” 

\----

Rey can’t help but find it ironic that she ended up in this situation. After all, she had been calling Kylo Ren’s bullshit at the interview while sitting in Maz’s shop not so long ago. Now, she was trailing behind the tall, dark, mysterious man in person. And he  _ was _ taller in person, like,  _ really _ tall. The chatter of information filled the stale air around them, but Rey did pick up a few things. Although the history of the building itself did not really interest her, apparently it had been a school for less fortunate kids in the early nineteenth century, and was used up until the sixties when finally they got better facilities. 

They’re just about to finish up an uneventful tour, when Kylo Ren suddenly stops mid-step. His foot even hovers a moment. Rey awkwardly bumps into the back of him. “What the hell— ,” she scoffs, only to be silenced by the palm of his gloved hand in her face.

“Phasma,” he says calmly, before his body suddenly goes limp, and is falling to the floor like a pile of wet, unexpected noodles. His assistant is there, however, catching him like this is completely normal. 

Needless to say, everyone else is quite startled. They back up, creating some space for the pair while Ren’s head was carefully cradled in Phasma’s lap.

“What the fuck was that— ?” says Hux from the corner, looking vaguely impressed. As if he could at least commend the man for superb acting skills.

Phasma shakes her head, “It happens when he had a particularly strong connection with the entity.”

Finn looks down at the man, who still shows no signs of moving with concern, “Is he… alright?”

She nods. “Yes, he should come out of it in a few minutes.”

“How often does it happen?” Rey asks. She had a feeling that having such a big guy collapse frequently was not a great advantage.

Phasma shakes her head, “Not often.”

And suddenly he jerks awake like he had been held underwater. His body shudders for breath, and his eyes are glazed over. They flicker back and forth, unseeing, but as though seeing everything. It lasts an eerie moment, before he blinks. The brown of his eyes were clear again. Wetting his lips, as if they are dry, he wildly searches the room. His eyes land on Rey.

She feels uncomfortable under his gaze… It looks  _ haunted _ . She tries to look away, but she can’t quite do it… Not when he raises his hand, and points directly at her. “Something is  _ on you.” _

Rey’s blood runs cold. “You’re  _ crazy _ ,” she accuses, her own mouth dry and the words come out flat. 

A shiver runs down her spine as she turns away and storms down the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we are officially doing this!  
> Thanks again to my beta BleachmyNARUTO, whom without this probably wouldn't exist...  
> But we're in it for the long haul now, so buckle up guys. Comments make my day! :D

Cold, confusion, _fear_ . There is a huge, suffocating weight on his chest. But there is a veil around these emotions, like they are being forcefully _suffocated_ . Or stolen. Kylo pushes past the barrier, he smashes it, and he falls into a crashing sea. It churns beneath his hands. _Anger_ and so much _pain_ , an undercurrent of deep sadness... He falls into the dark. His eyes find child’s figure in the dark, he tries to say something, but finds he is unable to. A sliver of light appears as a door cracks open, and he’s walking towards it.

“Don’t _leave me!”_  the child screams. “Don’t leave me all _alone_!”

He turns around and says something, but in Kylo’s ears it is just comes out as muddled nonsense. And then he leaves.

The scene disintegrates to white and suddenly he’s standing outside. It’s late at night, but the colors are too vibrant, and they blur together. The world is spinning, and Kylo stumbles to the grass, where it is wet and the blades scratch his face. He pushes himself to his knees then can rise no more as he hears a soft sob. He looks and sees a mass of color, which he tries to focus on, even squints to try and make out, but to no avail.

 _“Make_ _it stop_ ,” says a girl’s voice. Kylo tries to reach out, to try and comfort her. But he can’t reach her. But something _else can_. What was it, _what was it-?!_

Kylo is pushed _out_. He’s slammed back so hard the breath is knocked from his lungs. He feels his eyes open but he can’t see anything. He forces himself to breath. Feels his chest expands. Everything feels muted, almost gray in sharp contrast to the vibrant colors that spun around him moments before. He feels absolutely _drained,_ it had been a long time since he had a connection so strong. _Not since..._

He looks around the room, trying to find the source, but it is gone. Perhaps, whatever it had been, was equally exhausted from the transmission as him. But there _is_ something. His eyes latch on the girl, _Rey_. He felt her own energy: light, unassuming, _muted_ ; but on top if it there is _something else_. It’s so mingled with her own entity that he almost doesn’t sense it, but it is there. He points, “Something is _on_ _you._ ”

“You’re _crazy_ ,” she snaps.

He is used to that phrase, he heard it almost everyday, but he still felt a tinge of irritation at the accusation. He watched her storm away. And the spell seemed to break.

“Rey? _Rey!_ ” Finn chases after her.

“Well, that was _quite_ the start to a story,” the reporter says sarcastically, crossing his arms. Poe Dameron looks distressed, as though not sure if he should also chase after Rey, or stay and make sure Kylo doesn’t have another ‘episode’.

“Are you alright, dear?” Mrs. Williams ventures after a moment, clutching her skirts as though it would protect _her_ from collapsing. Her complexion was very pale even in the dank lighting of the hall.

Kylo just groans, and closes his eyes. “You really have a _way_ with people,” Phasma comments, sadistically amused by the whole situation. It was just her way, though Kylo could do without the poison of it.

\---

Hux had some expectations when he was assigned this story. When he heard that Kylo Ren, i.e Ben Solo, was to be his subject, Hux knew he was in for a ride, and if not for the supernatural aspect, then for Ren’s own jaded past. He had a _strained_ relationship with his parents. As soon as he had reached the legal age of eighteen, he struck out, changed his name, and began chasing _ghost stories._

In his time as a medium, Kylo has exposed quite a few fake claims of hauntings. That Hux could respect. But there were some he claimed were _legitimate_ . Again, it was a bit of crazy that Hux could overlook, maybe categorize as a childish venture. But two years ago, when Kylo Ren was the age of twenty-one, something _happened_.

The details were muddied, and so blurred that there was _no_ straight story. It was a journalist’s worst nightmare, and a tabloid’s fondest dream. Only one thing was confirmed: Kylo Ren was present, (some even argued _involved_ ), in the murder of his father, a Mr. Han Solo.

The police received a static phone call. Having a slow night, one of the officers decided to check it out anyway. He tracked the call to an abandoned building, thinking it would be a prank after all. But when the officer went inside, he described it as _evil_ … He found Kylo Ren, covered in Han Solo’s red blood and cradling his father’s limp neck. The body was in _ribbons_. The officer quickly called for backup, and tried to communicate with an unresponsive Ren.

It wasn’t until they had him in handcuffs, in the back of a cruiser, that Ren finally came to. He started _screaming_ . The officer described them as _mad ravings_ , but even through that he could hear Ren demand to be taken back to his father’s body.

Hux shook off the chill he got from the story.  In the end Kylo was proved innocent in the court of law. The victory was credited to his spectacularly expensive lawyer. It was clear the boy had friends in _high places._ Hux patted his pockets and pulled out the paper pack with the sudden craving for nicotine. He brought one to his lips, only to see the old woman glaring at him.

“What?” The cigarette bounced between his lips.

“Mr. Hux: there is _no smoking_ in the building,” she gestures, as if it were obvious given the structure was completely made of _very_ old dry wood.

A small part of him thinks he’d be doing them all a big favor if he accidentally torched the place, given that it was such a creepy dump that even the medium passed out, and his own unwillingness to be there. But he chuckles, “Yes, ma’am,” and pockets the pack for later.

By this time, Phasma is aiding, with the help of near-Brother Dameron, to get Kylo Ren back on his feet. Hux makes no move to help. “I’m afraid we will have to wait to finish the tour until tomorrow, Mrs. Williams,” Phasma says politely. Most of Ren’s weight is being supported by her, but she looks unfazed. She is almost monstrously tall, overtopping Ren even at his height of 6’2. Hux wondered if she were his bodyguard as well.

“Perhaps we can meet up later for dinner at the _White Rose_? The food is excellent, and there is a private parlor perfect for such a meeting,” Poe suggests. What Ren lacks in people skills, Dameron overflows with, Hux noticed. His stomach growls at the mention of food, and nobody seems to be willing to argue with food.

\---

Finn chases Rey down to find her _fuming_. Not that he can blame her, it was perfectly creepy how Kylo Ren had just put her on spot like that. He can tell she needs a distraction. So, he directs her to finish setting up the hub for their equipment in the first room from the lobby. The others leave quietly around them, but Poe pops in for a moment to invite them to dinner later on in the evening.

Finn politely agrees, “We _would_ like to join you, if we just finish setting up here for the night.” Finn assures Poe he knew where _White Rose_ was.

Poe nods, “Good…” He looks over Finn’s shoulder to where Rey is fully engaged in setting up. “Will she be okay?”

Finn nods. He has only known Rey for a month, but he knew she was tough as nails. He never had been responsible for anyone except himself before, but he knew that he wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to her. He would keep her from danger.

The priest accepts this, and claps a hand on his shoulder, “See you later?”

Finn  agrees and turns back to work. He picks up a duffel bag, “I’m going to set up the cameras.” Rey raises a hand in acknowledgement out from where she was tucked beneath the desk, working on the wiring.

The process is familiar in a comforting way. He sets up a camera and tripod in the back of each room, and makes sure the lense is set to night vision. Next he sets up a heat sensor that would alert them if there was a sudden change in temperature.

Finn never had an actual case before where he was being _paid_ to be there. Usually, it just was him showing up to some rumored supernatural location, only to be sorely disappointed. Then Rey showed up, and things began to _change_ . The moment he got the call from her, he had been researching for a new location. And it seemed like… _fate_ . When he met her, shook her hand; it felt like they had known each other for a long time. It was a weird sort of _deja vu_ …

He’s methodically working, hardly noticing he was climbing the old stairs to the second floor. He enters the first room on the left, and notes that it feels cooler. He glances about, and notices that the window was open. He assumes that Mrs. Williams forgot to close it when the others had been up here earlier. It was stuffy. He shrugs the duffel bag off in the middle of the room.

It really had gotten much cooler out as the sun slowly retreated behind the horizon. A chill breeze rolled in through the window. Finn  pushes on the sill, but it doesn’t budge. So, he presses down _harder_ , but it still doesn’t budge. It was an old school, and perhaps the window had rusted from being opened longer than Finn had assumed. He steps back and shrugs out of his jacket. He sets it on the floor and braces himself on the sill, putting his full weight upon it. And when he presses down with all his strength, it _slams_ shut with a _crack_ so hard that the window shakes, and Finn steps back, a bit shocked.

Trying to shake off the ominous feeling that someone was playing a prank on him, Finn gathers his coat from the floor and continued to work. When he leaves the room, he can’t shake that feeling. The feeling of _being watched_.

Finn is in the last room on the floor when he swear he hears a ball drop… It sounds like a marble, rolling across the ceiling. The image of little children games playing in the room flits in his imagination, but fades quickly. He stops what he's doing, eyes trailing the sound’s path across the ceiling towards the old, wooden door. The sound stops. And the door _slams_ open.

“FUUCK!” Finn bellows, jerking the tripod in front of him like a sad weapon.

“Finn?” Rey says from the doorway.  It takes him a moment to try to calm his racing heart, and he slowly relinquishes his death-grip on the tripod. She enters the room, looking thoroughly amused. “Wait, did I just scare you _?_ ”

He shakes his head, “ _No._ ” He sets the tripod down and shoves it into the corner of the room. “I was just… _creeped_ out. I keep getting weird vibes from this place.”

Rey laughs, “Yeah, it is an eerie place. I finished downstairs; I was wondering if you were done yet.”

“Yeah, just give me a minute.” He finishes setting up the heat sensor, and the two leave, for which Finn is secretly grateful for…

They packed and climb into the van to start driving to the _White Rose._ Only when he was behind the wheel with the school in the rearview mirror did Finn’s heart finally stops racing. But now with that growing distance, Finn couldn’t place the feeling anymore.

Why had he gotten so freaked out?

\----

Phasma carefully helped Ren back into the backseat of the car. By the time she slid into the driver’s  seat, he was already out cold. She isn’t really surprised: she already knew how much his gift tended to drain him. She gives the old school one last glance as they drive away, feeling pleased with its potential.

They are halfway back to the hotel, when the car’s display lights up with a call. She answers it immediately, “Yes sir?”

“Phasma,” greets Snoke, “how is the situation?”

She glances back at Ren, still knocked out cold. “Good. Ren is out.”

He hums, sounding pleased, “Good.”

She parks the car, “Indeed… There is a girl.”

“A _girl_?”

“Yes, Ren said something was _on her_.”

“Interesting… I must meditate on this new update. Keep me posted, Phasma.”

“Of course.”

\----

Ren wakes up sometime later, his head planted in the leather backseat. He feels like _shit_. He sits up slowly, trying to ignore the pounding blood in his ears. “Phasma?”

His assistant looks at him from the front seat, pausing what looks like an intense game of Bejeweled. “You’re finally up?”

He rubs his temples, “Where are we?”

“The hotel?”

Ren glances out the window, and they are, indeed, in the hotel’s _parking lot_ . “Why aren’t we _in_ the hotel?”

Phasma has already returned her attention back to the game, “Because I wasn’t about to _drag_ your lifeless corpse inside _. And_ I figured you wouldn’t want to cause a scene.”

He feels a kink in his neck that wasn’t there before, “Why, _thank  you_.”

“No problem!” she quips cheerfully as he opens the door and stumbles his way out of the car. “Get freshened up, we have dinner at seven at the _White Rose_.”

He waves her off, walking sluggishly towards the hotel.

She swipes at her phone, “Prick.”

\----

Poe Dameron wasn’t sure how he ended up here with this mix of people.

He had grown up in this area, but hadn’t been here in _so long_ … Dameron’s parents were deeply religious people, as his father was the local pastor, and they were an incredibly _kind_ family. They were everything that a good Catholic should be, and were very active in the community.

Poe was known as the golden boy. He was good at sports in high school and valedictorian of his class. It was no secret that his father expected him to follow in his footsteps. And that is just what Poe did. He left home, and began to study.  That was five years ago.

He was very close, now, to finally being ordained by a bishop… But the closer he got, just a breath away, the more he dreaded it. When he left home, priesthood was _all_ that he knew. It was what he lived and breathed his whole life, and it wasn’t until he got away that he realized… It wasn’t what he _wanted_. That is why he came home, to tell his father once and for all that he wasn’t going to be a priest. He wasn’t going to follow in his footsteps.  There was no shame in him, only a sadness for his father.

Only, that night, at dinner, there was a phone call. Like fate itself calling, Mrs. Williams requested the presence of a priest to her old school, just for extra protection. Poe knew of the school. He had heard all the ghost stories that surrounded it for most of his life. His father had answered the phone, then passed it to him claiming he was “too old” for such nonsense.

Now, here he sat, between a reporter, who actually looked _happy_ , and a ghost-hunter named Finn who looked _unhappy_. It is as if their roles from earlier were completely reversed.

Rey sat between Hux and Mrs. Williams, as far away from Kylo as possible. For which Poe couldn’t fault her. Kylo seemed perfectly fine with ignoring her existence at the moment, and she seemed content to do the same. An awkward silence had fallen over the table.

“It is so _nice_ to have everyone here,” interjects Mrs. Williams, who makes it a point to look right at Kylo Ren.

Kylo, for his part, _attempted_ a smile, which just looked awkward on his face. He looked exhausted, his curly hair freed so that it floated around his neck and cheeks, and his face was missing the pair of glasses from earlier. He still wore all black, but it appeared he had some style, and was wearing a blazer over v-neck and slacks. Somehow, he felt softer. More approachable.

“Wouldn’t miss a good meal, Mrs. Williams,” Phasma says sweetly, looking the opposite of her counterpart. She looked _sharp_ . She wore an elegant silver dress that was modest and classy. Her blonde hair was tucked behind one ear, and her red lips were quirked up in an expression of _confidence_. If he was any lesser person, Poe would have been intimidated.

“I can get behind that sentiment,” Hux adds, across from her, raising his glass of wine to hers.

“I don’t think I can afford the bread!” Rey hisses quietly to Finn, whom, for his part tries to reassure her, yet looks worried himself.

“Don’t fret over the price!” Mrs. Williams announced. “Order your heart’s desire: I am friends with the owner. Consider this my treat,”  Poe bites back a smile. Shelly Williams was _anything_ but a saint, but cheap she was not.

Everyone seems to relax, with the exception of Ren, who looks _bored_. The conversation turns to a light discussion of what everyone should order. Poe gives a few suggestions, and once the food is ordered the atmosphere changes yet again.

Hux sits up in his chair, “Mr. Ren, I recently saw your interview with Richard O’Neil.”

Everyone’s attention turns toward Kylo Ren, who stiffens in his chair. He looks irritated, and Phasma looks a little surprised at Hux’s boldness, especially in that the interview didn’t go well. “Yes, and did you find it, interesting?” Ren drawls, his voice a careful monotone.

The reporter clearly enjoyed making people uncomfortable. And Poe regretted sitting next to him, as those brown eyes across the table were narrowed in their direction. “Yes, it was _informative_. But I have more questions I’d like to ask you, if you don’t mind?”

“You may _ask_ ,” Ren says, as if _daring_ Hux to ask _that_ question.

Hux seems to _savor_ the tension in the air, before he presses on, “You described your ability as, how did you put it, a faulty radio? Can you elaborate exactly how it works?”

Ren visibly relaxes, and nods, moving back as waiter places down a salad before him. “Of course, it would be my pleasure.” Everyone starts on their first course, but Kylo makes no move to eat. “There are many types of psychics or mediums, I truly believe that we all, as humans, have some psychic abilities-- to some extent. But others have are more _sensitive_ to it.” He begins to eat, the entire table under his trance. “Clairvoyance and psychometry are my strengths. From an entity, I can receive images, symbols. They are often unclear, confusing, because the entity _itself_ is often confused. Psychometry is vulnerability through touch… When I touch something that is old, that has history, it all is transmitted to me.”

“So, you’re telling me, that if you touched that fork, you could tell us the history of the fork?” Hux quips with much skepticism.

Ren looks amused, “That is not what I’m saying, at all. The history of _object_ I can sense.” He sets the fork down, and holds out his hand, “Give me your watch.”

Hux looks reluctant, but hands it over. And everyone freezes in interest as Ren turns the watch over in his hands. He leans back in his chair, closes his eyes, and breathes in and out slowly. “Pride, bought after looking at in the shop window for months. Finally found a stable job, so proud. Angry, that _he_ doesn’t recognize your accomplishments. _He_ should have bought you this watch. You pretend he did, you tell people he did. It was a gift…” His eyes slide open, and Hux looks mildly horrified when he snatches the watch back. “Was I far off?”

Hux pockets the watch, “ _No_ … Please, continue.”

Ren nods, digging into his salad, “I’ve known others with different talents. Some can _hear_ the entities. Some use taste, smell… Some can _feel_ them.” He finishes just as the waiter comes and takes away some of the plates. “And then, if the connection is strong, we can channel with the spirit. We connect… And they send you on whatever rollercoaster ride they desire.” He runs a hand through his hair, “That is usually a last resort. As it is mentally demanding, and physically draining.”

Poe speaks up for the first time, “Is that what happened today?”

Ren nods, “I’m afraid so... “ His eyes finally flicker over to Rey. “Which, I suppose, is good news... for some.”

Rey straightens in her chair, looking defiantly at Ren. “Why’s that?”

Kylo Ren takes a sip of his wine, his eyes scan over the table, “Because if a spirit that is powerful enough to knock me out is present, I’m confident that you’ll have quite the story to publish-- Hux, of US Weekly.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, thank you to my brilliant beta NarutomyBLEACH, who patiently waited for me to finally finish this chapter. And then, jumped right in and edited it to make it so better. You're the best.
> 
> Second, the song I used is The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, I would suggest giving it a listen to as you read.
> 
> Third, thank you for reading!

After Ren’s speech at dinner, things began to settle down as the food was delivered. The conversation turns back towards polite small talk. Rey spends most of her meal listening to Hux talk over her head to Mrs. Williams about his previous jobs. Hux is someone who clearly enjoyed talking about himself, and Mrs. Williams provided a _perfect_ audience.

At one point, Mrs. Williams notices Rey’s silence and attempts a conversation. Asking how the trip was, to which Rey responds with ease. The drive for her and Finn was a mere two hours from her hometown, and so it was no trouble at all. The worst was unpacking, she added.

There is an offer for dessert, but everyone refuses, completely sated with their meals, or else too queasy from the day to continue. Mrs. Williams, true to her word, pays for everyone. And after such a large meal, it hits Rey how _exhausted_ she really was, and when she looks around the table she realizes everyone else was coming to the same revelation.

So their rag-tag group of “professionals”  headed out, and Ren makes a beeline for the car without so much as a goodbye. Phasma is glued to her cellphone, but has the decency to give them all a little wave before trailing after her prickly  employer. Poe lingers to shake Finn’s hand, grinning, before running after Mrs. Williams to open the car door for her. Rey watches as the old woman cackles, and waves off Dameron’s civility.

Hux, just to her left, strikes a match to light a cigarette. “What an odd crowd, don’t you think?”

 Rey nods vaguely, but her thoughts are focused on the soft bed waiting for her at the hotel. She mutters a goodbye but doesn’t bother to wait for a reply before she hurried over to Finn. The ride back is made in comfortable silence, as they both are tired and eager to sleep.

 When they make it down their hallway with their separate rooms just across the hall from each other, Finn brings her to a halt. “Rey,” he begins in that concerned, slow tone of his.

 And she knows where this was going: back to the incident earlier that day, to Ren’s accusations at the school and then again at dinner. How his eyes lingered over her, above her, like something was perched on her shoulder. She shook off the image a shiver. “Don’t,” she shakes her head, “I _am_ fine, Finn, really. I’m not worried about what some _lunatic_ has to say about me.”

 He swallows and nods, but he still looks so _uncomfortable_. “Okay, yeah… Just--let me know...if you need anything. Okay?”

 She smiles, warmed by his worry and general affection, before nodding, “I will; promise.” She turns and keys her door open, “Good night, Finn.”

 “Good night,” he chimes, but lingers nevertheless.

 ----

 _Hello Darkness, my old friend  
_ _I’ve come to talk with you again_

Kylo Ren sits quietly on the stiff sheets of the hotel’s bed. The room is quaint, small, but still more comforting than his old room, back home that he had left so long ago. The last glimmers of daylight slip away behind the cracks of the white blinds pulled all the way down. They flicker across his face leaving him unusually, forlorn.

 _Because a vision softly creeping_ _  
_ _Left its seeds while I was sleeping_  

 

Rey lays down to rest after a long day. And the nightmare reaches her, the unsuspecting victim, that night. She hasn’t had one in _so long_ , not for at least five years. But it’s so _familiar_ that the _anticipation_ , the knowing of what would come with it sank dread deep into her marrow.

Because it was always the same.

 _And the vision that was planted in my brain_ __  
_Still remains_  
Within the sound of silence

 

Ren’s eyes slowly adjust to the darkness, but he no longer sees his hotel room. Instead, it clears into  wooden floorboards with a chair in the corner. Holes in peeling wallpaper speckled the wall.  Red was pooling at his feet, and the same red was staining his hands, making his shirt stick to his chest and neck-- sticky and warm. Two brown eyes looking up at him with a twisted and knowing smirk.

A mockery of the man himself. His hands dig into his knees because it isn’t _real_. It is a manifestation of his own memory, and he bites his tongue.

 _In restless dreams I walked alone_  
_Narrow streets of cobblestone_  
_'Neath the halo of a street lamp_  
_I turned my collar to the cold and damp_

 

In this world, she is just a little girl, defenseless again. She is lost, but she can’t move because her leg is broken; she feels the splinters. She tries to move despite that but her ribs hurt _so much,_ and she begins to panic as darkness encroaches her surroundings. She’s stuck under the hollow yellow light of a streetlamp. A dim, tiny teardrop marooned with her in a sea of shadows.

Her lungs try to expand but it _hurts_ , and her breath comes out short and stuttered. She is chilled, and her skin crawls in waves and patches as though little bugs are scuttling across her arms, legs, stomach…  
  
Rey’s ears start ringing with faint buzz that grows so loud that it hurts. She claps her hands over her ears and screams to blot out the sounds in her head…

The bugs appear as they reach her neck; they crawl up her arms to her wrists. They venture over her fingers, crawl in her hair, across her scalp. She shakes her arms, her head, frantically trying to shaking them off. She’s desperate; she always is.

 _When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light_  
_That split the night_  
_And touched the sound of silence_

 

 “Make it stop!” she screams her throat raw. And then the light dies, and the bugs disappear, and so does the ringing. There is only silence and a curl of cool air wrapping around her. It is dark and quiet. And something feels wrong, someone is touching her shoulders, something is on her shoulders… But at least everything stopped, _at least it stopped_.

-

Ren looks down at the torn body, at the blood clotting, running maroon and crusty across a worn leather jacket. He stands on shaky legs, and moves across the room for the light switch. The brown pair of eyes trail after him the entire way as blood drips down the side of that eerie smile.

He breathes, hand frozen on the switch as he locks eyes with manifestation, and it looks _pleased_ at his horror. “Sorry Dad, but you aren’t real.” 

He flicks the switch and light floods the room, blinding him.

-

Rey wakes up with a start, her whole body convulsing with shock, and the pound of blood in her ears is all she can hear. She opens her mouth to sob with fright but nothing comes out but a weak keen. She hadn't had that dream in _so_ long.

But it didn't feel like a dream so much as a _memory_. She forces herself to breath slower, focusing on settling her racing heart.  

There is no _fear_ , there is no _pain,_ there is no _hunger._ There is only serenity. Peace, she would call it, that nothingness of the eye of a storm, but no. Peace implied that it could last.

Slowly the ache in her heart and the fear in her mind bled away. It slips away like water through her cupped fingers, and is swallowed into a dry, harsh desert.

Everything feels _numb_ . She feels awkward in her own skin, her hand fumbling as she turns on the light. The panic she felt when she woke up is dry on her tongue, like a bad aftertaste. She can’t really recall it, but it is _enough_ to be reminded

The sun is rising, its warm glow just beginning to hit her blinds as she throws off the covers and trails into the bathroom. She preps the shower to wash away the cold sweat that lingered on her skin, the only reminder that something was _wrong._

\---

“Enter,” calls Ren, pulling on a black knit sweater when there is a sharp knock on his door.

Phasma enters, looking her usual immaculate self. “Did you sleep well?”

“What did you find out about the school?” he dodges the small talk. She would find his vision very interesting, along with the fact that he didn’t sleep an ounce after it occurred.

She seats herself on the edge of his bed, and watches as he dresses, with legs comfortably crossed. “Not much, I’m afraid, the records were very _poorly_ kept to say the least.” She opens her black briefcase, and tosses a folder on the center of the mattress.

He’s threading his belt through his slacks, when Kylo pauses to flip the folder open. It’s full of black and whites, grainy images from over a well over hundred of year ago.

“It was originally built as one of the earliest schools in the early nineteenth century, and was soon replaced by a more permanent residence. However, the school was remodeled in the twenties for less fortunate children. It was funded by a Mr. Carson, who was extremely wealthy.” She stands, crossing the room to start a brew of coffee. “Now, this is where the details get sketchy, but it was rumored that Carson built the school for his bastard son.”

Kylo buckled his belt, squinting at one picture in the front, it depicted a plain, yet charming woman with a gentle smile. “The woman?”

“The boy’s mother, a maid in the Carson’s household. They were kicked out not long after the affair was discovered. She died ten years later, no public record of it, except for a mark in the crematoriums book.”

Head cocked in interest, he flipped through the rest of the photos, pausing on one of a pale, but stern looking young man. He was thin, but had striking passion in his eyes, even in the photograph. “Who is--?”

“The bastard’s son, Andy Carson. He remained at the school and became a teacher. He was known t be particularly bright. He taught there until his mid-thirties before leaving town.”

The more Kylo  looks at the photo, the more those brown eyes bore into his mind. He flips the folder closed. He listens to the rest of Phasma’s research in vague interest, but his mind is already elsewhere. “What of the girl?” he asks after a moment.

Phasma sighs at his short attention span, pouring herself a piping hot cup of black coffee. She turns on her heels and gives him a withering look before pulling second folder from her bag. He takes it all too eagerly, flipping through the pages.

Rey Kenobi, twenty years old, currently enrolled a MIT for engineering: an impressive feat. Her permanent residence was a listed apartment just a few hours out from the town. She had a quite a few odd jobs over the last several years, but surely her current profession was the most _unusual_ out of the long list.

Kylo was getting bored with formalities, he flipped through to the back… No emergency contacts listed. _Unusual_. A list of different foster families, speckled with notes and different reports. Foster care--an orphan, THEN… He freezes, feeling a pang of sympathy and anguish assault his senses at the realization. His eyes linger on the black scribbled pen marks on the page he held in his bare hand before concluding the pity he felt wasn’t his own. He pushed it from his mind, detaching himself from the outside energy that flooded him. It was something he did so often, something he felt so often that it was almost second nature, like breathing.

There was a time when he struggled with the sensations… When he was young, just ten years old, he couldn’t distinguish his own thoughts and feelings from those he absorbed. His moods were easily influenced by those around him as their skin and energy brushed up against his. It wasn’t until he grew older that he learned to block it out, to desensitize himself from the ebb and flow of emotional input. Then, after he’d met Snoke, he learned to control and pinpoint it… The ability to absorb just what he wanted, and reject the rest.

He turned to the last few pages, and his breath caught. _Horrific Car Crash, Father and Daughter Severely Injured_ \- next is hospital records. Her father, Ben Kenobi, forty, was announced dead just an hour after the accident due to severe head trauma. And Rey... He flipped to Rey’s report. Broken leg, fractured arm and ribs, internal bleeding… Unresponsive. Stabilized in the ambulance.

He flips to the back and clipped to the folder is a picture of a five year old, freckle-faced girl, smiling and holding hands with a kind peaceful-looking man. His blue eyes were shining with  a bright smile, looking down at his daughter, enchanted. Ren doesn’t know what possesses him to do it, but he takes the photograph. He slips it into his back pocket before turning towards Phasma, who was viciously typing away on her cellphone.

“Let’s go.”

\---

Finn _does_ note that Rey is unusually quiet the next morning, but he has enough tact not to mention it. Instead, he chats enough for the both of them over breakfast, listing what still needed to be done in preparation of the day.

As they make it to the parking lot, they spot a rather animated Hux cursing into his phone and pacing back and forth behind his sporty black rental. They both keep their distance, not wishing for another long interaction with the reporter.

As the reach the van, Finn makes some offhand comment about Hux, he honestly can barely remember what, which actually startles Rey to a laugh. It comes out spur of the moment, delighted, that it makes Finn chuckle to himself as they climb in. It’s content in the car for the rest of the ride.

\---

Poe Dameron and Mrs. Williams are the first people there, naturally. As he kills the ignition to the car, Poe reflects on events of last night. The conversation he had with Finn during their meals.

“What's it like, _almost_ being a priest?” Finn asks next to him. He says the words teasingly, but there is something about his face… Wide eyed curiosity, genuine kindness, and a spark of mischief.

Poe normally felt uncomfortable speaking of his life. Before it was because people would never even _try_ to understand why he wanted to become a priest. Argued his choices, his rights, his beliefs. He had always fought with those people _so hard_.

But now it was because he was stuck in between, in some sort of limbo… His world was slowly being turned upside down, and Poe wasn't sure how he felt about it. But Finn didn't know about that, and his face was void of judgement, and Poe let his guard down.

“It's hard…but rewarding.”

Finn nods, “I can't imagine.”

Poe smiles. “What's it like hunting ghosts?”

Finn laughs, “Surprisingly uneventful so far.” He pushes the food around on his plate, “Most people think I'm crazy, and hell, maybe I _am_ …but I can't give up, not yet.”

Poe gives him a sympathetic look, “I don't think you're crazy.” He says it without much thought.

Finn pauses and shares a long look with Poe, distrust mapping his features as he searches the priest's face. Whatever he finds must be satisfactory because his expressions softens _._ Contemplative. “Thanks, Poe,” he says so softly.

Something warms in Poe’s stomach as he turns back to his dinner.

\---

Everyone arrives shortly after that. They all pile back into the school on a bright sunny day with a cool breeze

Everyone files into the building, but Ren pauses on the steps. He bends down and picks at the dried up weeds that crumble at his touch. Something that hadn’t been yesterday, he notes. He straightens and continues on inside.

Everyone is found in the room Finn and Rey designated as their main hub. Rey had begun booting up the mainframe, and was set to work on connecting all the cameras and heat sensors to their respective monitor.

Finn begins explaining. “We film each of the rooms for activity, as well as measure the temperature of each room for a sudden change. Most encounters with ghosts mention a sudden change in temperature--usually for the cooler.”

Finn’s eyes skirt over Ren’s face for any conformation, but he gives nothing away. His expression schooled in an ever more pouty countenance as he stares at Rey. She ignores him, of course.

“What happens when the power goes out?” Hux asks, looking the room up and down. All that data would be useless once the power was cut. He almost pitied the little tech boy at the thought. Almost.

Finn grins at the challenge. “All the cameras are run on batteries and the main hub,” he pats one of the monitors, “has a lovely generator.”

Dameron nods at him from his corner of the room, his curiosity piqued. “Do you use anything else?”

Finn moves behind the desk to pull out a well-beaten box that looked to have been half of a safe. “Electromagnetic field meters,” he holds up the small handheld device, aware of the eyes on him, “Rey helped me design it. It ignores _normal_ levels, that can be caused by manmade structures, and will only beep at unusually high levels. It isn’t good enough _proof_ , but it is still a useful tool.”

Hux looks to Ren for some sort of visual confirmation, as he was the world-acclaimed ‘ghost expert’, but he was even more impassive than usual.

“We also have handheld camcorders,  and microphones that pick up different frequencies, which I like to carry on my person… And Rey, well, likes to stick to the hub.”

Rey pets the setup, “Just doing my job.”

Finn nods, remembering her part of the contract, that said that she would prefer not to wander around decrepit old buildings, where she might fall through the floor at any moment. To which, he couldn’t refuse. “True. Plus it helps us eliminate any issues with interference. It helps to be sure that we know where she is at all times, hence why we have our handheld radios.” He pats his belt.

“Looks like you’ve thought of everything,” Dameron says kindly.

“It is admirable, dear,” Mrs. Williams adds.

Hux looked conflicted between being impressed _and_ annoyed at being impressed. There is no reason he should have any interest in _any of it_. Because it was all utter nonsense in his book, and he wouldn’t forgive himself for getting sucked up in the madness that surrounded him. In his frustration, his hand itched for a smoke, only letting go of his pack when he caught Mrs. William’s gaze.

Damned old bat.

\---

It isn't until the sun begins to hang lower on the horizon that Ren calls everyone outside on the overgrown lawn, in front of the old school.

“Since we still do not have a clear picture of what we are dealing with, I would like to have some precautions in place. First, no one is allowed to stay over a maximum of twenty-four hours in the building.” Phasma begins to pass out digital watches from her bag, which everyone reluctantly puts on. “The watch will go off in exactly eight hours, giving us two hours to spare, in order to get out.”

Hux rolls his eyes, “Not that I _want_ to stay here longer than necessary, but wouldn't we notice if we were here longer?”

Ren face is long suffering, clearly tired of being questioned, but his tone is ever-so patient, “Staying for more than a whole day is _ill-advised_ . The longer you have exposure to an energy, the more power you give it, the more _attached_ it will become to you,” his eyes linger on Rey for a moment, but she was too busy fiddling with her radio to notice.

Finn pipes up, “What do you _mean_ attached?”

Ren shrugs, “It will follow you wherever you go. It will feed off of your energy.”

“That still doesn't explain why we need the alarm,” Hux adds.

His patience is cracking, “Like I _said_ , we don't know _what_ we are dealing with yet. But a great deal of entities have the ability to warp time.”

“Warp _time_?” Poe asks.

Phasma is the one to speak up this time as she tightened her own watch, “They can delude your mind into believing a couple of minutes is a week, or, more likely, a couple of hours is a minute.”

Everyone shifts uncomfortably, uncertain what to make of the new development. “As I said, it’s _just_ a precaution,” Ren says after a moment of silence. “Secondly, if you see or feel something suspicious you are to report it to me or Phasma _right away_.”

Finn thinks back to the window yesterday, but quietly shakes off the memory. He didn’t need Kylo Ren, laughing at him for being a big coward when he was a ghost hunter. He nervously fingers his watch as Ren’s eyes drift over him in passing.

“Lastly: don’t _provoke_ the entity,” Ren eyes Hux, “even if _you_ don’t believe, it isn’t a good idea to piss it off. Alright?”

Everyone nods, even Hux, who has the decency to at least look sheepish. And in that moment, the last glimmers of light disappears and the thin crescent, which had been on the rise since late late afternoon, began to shine.

The school glows against the darkness, its yellow lights shining out from the foggy glass paned windows. Yet it doesn’t _feel_ warm, or even welcoming. Finn’s eyes trail up to the the second story window… And he _swears_ , as his breath catches in his throat, that he sees a shadow flutter past. Everyone was accounted for. No one was there to cast one. His heart hammers in his chest as Ren, clearly prone to dramatics by this point, pushes the front door open. It creaks in protest, as though it _wants_ to protect that shadow.  
  
“Let’s have some fun, shall we?”


	4. Chapter 4

“Can you _not_ touch that?” Rey says testily from behind the crowd of monitors.

Ren sheepishly sets down the device he was fiddling with, an EMF meter, he thinks he remembers Finn saying something about earlier? He had seen people like these two before, trying to explain the paranormal with a few broken tape recorders and a ‘scientific approach’. However, he wasn’t sure he had ever met one as thorough, or with nearly as many devices.

Ren stalked about the room, it striked his curiosity and also his disdain. It was people like this, with several series on televisions that made his own personal study of the paranormal seem like crack-pot fool’s work. But he was also mostly interested in Rey, herself, the tragedy of her past, the entity clearly involved, and her current involvement in this case. His hands slipped into his back pocket, taking a casual stance, as his gloved fingers trace the photograph he had stashed there that morning.

This, of course, was all to Rey’s great dismay. She watched him pace, arrogantly about the room for a good while, before she couldn’t take the distraction any longer. “Don’t you-- I don’t know, have some seance to be doing?” She can’t help the irritation in her voice, as she had made it clear that his presence was most unwelcome.

Ren paused, turning to look at her over his shoulder, if she didn’t know better she’d say he looked _amused_ . “No, actually, I don’t find _that_ method particularly useful; joining hands, chanting, lighting candles -- isn’t all that effective in anywhere outside parlor tricks.”

Rey snorted, the image of Kylo Ren asking everyone to tranquilly join hands and chant under the candlelight was, admittedly, an amusing thought. She still desired to escape his suffocating presence however, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Still, there _must_ be something that you could be doing, that is more useful.” Hint, h _int._

Ren turned about, looking at her with his annoyingly calculating gaze, “It’s almost like you’re trying to get rid of me.”

Rey smirks from behind the desk, “BIN-GO.”

He frowns deeply, a little ticked off at her rudeness. But a part of him, understood her defensiveness.  He clearly hadn’t made the best impression by her, but he was also too prideful of a person to admit it. Nor was he wrong. Han would always remark on his foolish pride as something he and Leia share. So, he tries for a moment, to be the bigger person in this situation. He schools his expression, “Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot--”

“ _Huge_ understatement,” she bites in.

“ _But_ , I apologize for having frightened you.”

Moments tick away, for what feels eternity, before Rey sits up forcefully in her chair. “For _frightening_ me? Are you _serious_ ? How about for making _wild_ accusations with _no_ basis or _real_ evidence?”

The muscles in Ren’s jaw clench, and he holds in the desire to punch _something_ or break some of this very expensive equipment. That struck a nerve, the same nerve as _you’re crazy_ does. The same nerve Richard O’Neil and so many others throughout his life have pressed on. He flushes with anger, “Wild _accusations_ ? Sorry you can’t handle the truth, _kid_ , but what I said _was the truth_.”

Rey juts out her chin defiantly, eyes positively ablaze, “Kid! Ha, as if, nothing out of your mouth is ever, or ever will b _e the truth!_ Just like when you lied about-- _”_

Ren’s fist connected with the door with a deafening crack, and the wood on the door split open. He pulled back, frustrated at losing control, again. And just because of the flippant comments of some immature _child_ . He took a deep breath, before turning to look back at Rey’s impassive face. Clearly unimpressed with his childish display. “You have _no right_ ,” he says, lowly, calmly as he can manage.

“Neither do _you_ ,” she says pointedly. But there was decidedly less venom in it, she had done some research on Ren. And the controversy surrounding him wasn’t hard to dig up. But it was maybe a little too far to bring it up…

The silence that fills the air is thick and heavy. But both are too stubborn to say any more. It makes the thumping sound from upstairs that much louder. But it breaks the trance - Rey ducking down the feed to check the cameras above them. Sighing in relief, when she spots an apologetic looking Poe fixing the camera that he accidently knocked over.

Ren, who had made his way over to see what was going on, released a chuckle. To which Rey returned, nervously.

\-----

“So, anyone have any ghost stories to tell?” jokes the reporter for across the room. He was growing more moody as he itched for a light. But then, that was impossible under the watchful gaze of the old crow, who refused to leave him alone (because she knew of his intention to smoke). He really didn’t understand why she was so protective over this fucking, rickety old building.

Phasma, Ren’s bodyguard, had somehow been assigned to the duty of watching over the pair. But she was completely useless company, as she merely stayed glued to her phone, typing away some report.

Mrs. Williams was seated from behind what was once a teacher’s desk. She looked positively exhausted, but still refused to go home. “I’m afraid that would be insensitive, dear.”

Oh, rich, they definitely didn’t want to _offend_ the “ghost”. Hux rolls his eyes, who knew that ghost hunting could be so _domestic_.

\-----

“I’m sorry, Finn, I knocked over one of your cameras, it just sort of snuck up on me,” Poe was blushing furiously as he steadied the tripod back up to standing position in the hall.

Finn, to his credit gave a weak laugh, but he couldn’t shake his unsteady feeling.

Poe seemed to notice, “What’s wrong?”

Finn didn’t see any harm in telling Poe - especially after their conversation yesterday. It was almost a relief to empty his own wild thoughts out of his mind, clearly nobody else was noticing anything out of the ordinary. “I just have an odd… sort of feeling. Yesterday when I was setting up cameras weird things happened - like a window I couldn’t budge suddenly slamming shut. And just weird sounds - I don’t know if it is just my imagination or not.”

Poe clasped his shoulder, “Believe me it is not unusual to feel uneasy in this place - I’ve been here many times before -” Finn frowns, “Stupid dares and such when you’re a kid. There is something off at this place.”

Finn nods, not thoroughly convinced, but feeling a little better, he moves down the hall.

Poe follows, thinking back to the old ghost stories he and his friends used to tell about the old school. And then he pauses. “Actually, I have an idea.”

\----

Hux is _bored_. But it seems patience has won as the old woman in the chair has finally nodded off. Likely way past her typical bedtime. And with Phasma still engrossed in whatever was on her phone, nobody would miss him right? His hand itched to his upper pocket at his pack of smokes as he stood, “Going to take a leak,” he said as he slid out the door - if anyone cared they didn’t show it.

As soon as he reached bathroom, two stalls and a rusty looking urinal, he pulled his smokes. There was no smoke alarms that he could see in the building, that were automatic at least. So he was safe, he patted his pocket for his lighter. He rolled his thumb over the top - creating as spark that lit up the dim room. He caught his own reflection a dingy mirror over the one sink in the bathroom, a moody looking ginger with a cigarette between their lips. He flicked the lighter again, but there was just a spark, a shadow loomed over the shoulder of the pale contrasting figure in the mirror. He didn’t pay any mind, focused on the lighter, growled in frustration - he was so damned _close_.

He fumbled with the lighter, his thumb raw, tried to spark a light once more. Flame flooded the bathroom, it was so big, so suddenly flickering, it burnt the flesh of his thumb severely enough for him to yell out. Dropping the lighter, and quickly moving to turn on the cool water. He places his hand under in relief, swearing at his own misfortune.

It isn’t long after, that the door slides up, and Hux absolutely _does not_ jump. But outside stands a looming, dark figure that could only be Kylo Ren himself. “Are you alright, we thought we heard something?” Somehow Ren has the unique ability to sound not at all personally worried about his well being while uttering that sentence.

Hux glares, not in any particular mood in being chastised for smoking in the old building, shrugs it off, “It is nothing. Thought I saw a rat.”

“Ew, I would screech if I saw a rat too,” comments Rey, shouldering by Ren, unable to hid her amusement at Hux’s less than dignified utter.

“I _did not_ screech - it was a yelp of surprise,” Hux says testily, turning off the sink and shaking the water from his hands as there was nothing to wipe them with.

To Hux’s utter mortification, it seems that Kylo Ren picked that moment to show that he had a sense of humor. “I don’t know…” he drawled, “it definitely was a few octaves up there.”

Judging by her slack jaw expression, Rey seemed as equally stunned as Hux that Ren had just _attempted_ something at teasing or a joke. It was enough for Hux to shoulder past them, cigarettes forgotten in his irritation, “Whatever, what the hell have you two been doing this whole time? If you ask me this is a waste whole farce is waste of time.”

Ren follows after him calmly, “I cannot say I disagree at this point. I have yet to feel anything connected to this place,” his eyes look to Rey, still convinced whatever was haunting her was real - apparently.

Hux stops in front of his designated classroom and gestures dramatically, “ _Great_ then _you_ convince the old lady to let us go home already!”

Ren looks uncomfortable, and Rey looks amused - why Hux thinks Ren could convince anybody of anything is beyond her. People skills and all - he was severely lacking.

It was just then that, however, the two men upstairs came crashing downstairs. Finn came waving his high-tech voice recorder in one hand and the EMF meter in the other. “Guys you _have_ to hear this!” And then he proceeds to race down the hall back hub’s room - Poe fast on his heels.

The reporter’s hands are still raised in gesture toward the room. His mouth open in disbelief, _so close_ to going home.

The door the room slides open, and there stands a bored looking Phasma and a sleepy eyed Mrs. Williams. “What’s going on?” she asks, sliding her phone away for the first time.

“I wonder if they caught the Hux’s yelp on tape,” a deep voice ponders.

Rey can’t seem to contain a laugh of surprise. Phasma looks bemused at Kylo’s commentary, but says nothing. Mrs. Williams just looks thoroughly confused even though it is _her_ fault they are here. And Hux - Hux flushes red to his ears. “I’m not sure I like this newly developing sense of humor, Mr. Ren,” he comments.

They don’t linger, however, as the group’s interest lies in what exactly got the PI and priest so excited. Hux trails behind, sucking on the burnt flesh of his thumb - wondering if somebody was playing a cruel prank on him. It wasn’t appreciated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow - it has been a long ass time. To my beta - I'm so sorry I disappeared if you're still out there forgive me.  
> It feels good to be writing again - things have been rough lately - and this is therapeutic to write in a weird sort of way.
> 
> I couldn't help but crack Ren's mysterious persona some... I mean... The guy is a Solo he has to have some sense of humor. No matter how sadistic and dumb it is.
> 
> Anyway I hope you enjoyed even if it took forever (:


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